Socks

The book is told from a cat's perspective, which is an unusual one for me to read. However, Beverly Cleary has a gift for writing animal and children characters, and this book is no exception. Socks begins the story as a kitten, stuffed in a box with all his other brothers and sisters as a little girl tries to sell them off at the grocery store. He is her favorite, and she is hoping no one will buy him so she can keep him for herself, but when she sees the kind young couple looking with interest at their cats, she changes her mind. She knows Socks will have a good home with them.

Thus, Socks begins his life with the Brickers, and at first, everything is ideal. He is pampered. Fresh meat, mountains of affection, and free reign of the show more house. Imagine the poor kitty's surprise when his idyllic existence begins to change, and he has no idea why. The reader does, though; Mrs. Bricker is pregnant, and soon infant Charles joins the household, much to Socks's dismay. The following chapters chronicle his attempts to adjust to the new life, and his growing loneliness and apathy. When he unwillingly gets in a fight with the mean tomcat Old Taylor, his owners finally begin to notice him again. Even better, in the final chapter of the book, Socks learns that Charles William can be something quite different from a nuisance - he can be a playmate, one that will give Socks even more attention than the Brickers, and all is well in Socks's world once more.

The author realistically captures a cat's perspective. One of the delights in reading the small book is seeing a human world through a cat's eyes: how Socks interprets the change in his owners, the new baby's intrusion, and his banishment to the garage. We see that the Brickers frequently misunderstand Socks and his misbehavior, which is a plea for attention or what he considers his just allowance. The irony between what the cat thinks and what the humans think creates much of the humor. Also, the story is full of sweetness; it's about a cat and a baby. The book has seven short chapters that are quick to read, a cast of characters that will certainly appeal to children, and a happy ending. Although this book is not as famous as Cleary's Ramona or Mouse series, don't overlook it. The story provides an entertaining read that has an old-fashioned charm. show less

This short, simple tale about a cat that is adopted by a young couple and is eventually displaced by a newborn baby was a lot of fun to read, not to mention very true to cat ownership. In life, cats certainly do often get ignored, even pushed aside, when important things are happening, and it seems perfectly all right. But the indignation from the cat's perspective felt completely justified too. I only wish cats really understood as much as Socks did in the book—it would make certain parts of life a lot simpler.

I haven't read much Cleary in my life, maybe just a Ramona book or two when I was younger, but I think I'll have to remedy that, as I just loved this story so much. The fact that I'm heavily a cat person probably affects my show more feelings on it, but my 10-year-old daughter, who is pretty equal on dogs and cats, also loved it. One thing's for sure, I'll never look at my cats the same way again. show less

I adored this when I was young (even though I was a bit older than the target audience when it was released) and was delighted to find that I still do. So much wisdom, insight, adventure, and humor packed into such a very short book. Perfect for a family read-aloud for all ages. Even minor characters are full-on individuals.

And since it's a cat displaced by the baby, it's 'metaphorical' and you can apply it as bibliotherapy to your first-born without being dismissed as teachy-preachy.
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Reread for Cleary topic in Children's books. But had a little trouble with it. Not nursing, but bottle feeding. And dad telling the infant "That's the old fight!" when he burps (he wouldn't say that to a girl baby would he?).

But the story of the cat show more itself is as charming as I remember from reading this book as a child. show less

This is one of my childhood favorites. It's a friendly little story about the daily life of an ordinary housecat. At first the kitty luxuriates in the attention of his young owners, but soon a baby arrives and everything changes. Socks has to deal with people getting up at odd hours, mealtimes being delayed, the anxiety of listening to the baby cry, and visits from well-meaning relatives, some of whom tease or criticize him. Another trial in Socks' life is battling with a neighborhood tomcat... But then the baby starts to grow up, and Socks finds that the little person in the family is no longer so annoying and can be a great playmate. It's a cute book, one we could really relate to, having two cats and a new baby. My daughter enjoyed show more pointing out all the ways in which our cats and baby behave similar to or differently from those in the story.

from the Dogear Diary show less

This is quiet little story about a cat - how he finds a family and how that family adjusts to the addition of a baby. Socks is suitably cat-like and it is interesting to view the story through his eyes.

Socks is one happy cat. He lives the good life with his affectionate owners, Mr. and Mrs. Bricker. Ever since the day they saved him from a life spent in a mailbox drop slot, Socks has been the center of their world. And he always has everything he needs--tasty kitty treats and all the lap room he could want!

But when a new baby arrives, suddenly the Brickers have less and less time for Socks. Little Charles William is the one getting all the attention. Socks feels left out--and to show it, he starts getting into all sorts of trouble! What will it take to make Socks realize just how much the Brickers care about him?

This is a very humorous story about Socks, a happy cat who is now trying to adjust to his owners having a new baby. As Mr. and Mrs. Bricker start to devote their attention to their new son, Socks tries to get their attention by acting out and getting into all sorts of mischief.

This book could be used in a helpful way to get students to start talking about being a sibling - especially about being an older sibling. Being an older sibling, or just a sibling in any birth order can come with challenges and frustrations, so this book can serve as a great conversation starter, and can give students something less formal and intimidating to relate to.